Picture image outputting apparatus

• US 20010053273A1
• Filed: 05/24/2001
• Published: 12/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Wakai, Shinichi, Notsuyu, Toshiaki, Yoshitake, Osamu, Shindo, Kunihiko, Yamamoto, Nozomi
• Granted Patent: US 7,006,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 15/03 by using counters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums

Abstract

There is provided a playing time limiting mode for controlling a picture image outputting apparatus by means of a playing time enabling the outputting operation of a picture image and a locking time disabling the outputting operation of a picture image, in which the playing time is set to be a preferable value by the setting operation of a user; a value set beforehand in the apparatus is used as the locking time; when a playing time limiting mode is selected by a mode selection, first, the timing of the playing time is begun according to a prescribed condition, and when the passing of the playing time is detected, the timing of the locking time is begun and the operation of the outputting of a picture image is made to be impossible until the locking time has passed.

Claims

1. A picture image outputting apparatus for outputting a picture image for display, said apparatus comprising:

storage means for storing a playing time for enabling an output operation of a picture image and a locking time for disabling the output operation of a picture image;

playing time timing means for timing the playing time;

locking time timing means for timing the locking time;

mode selecting means for selecting a playing time limiting mode for controlling the picture image outputting apparatus on a basis of the playing time and the locking time; and

control means for starting timing of said playing time timing means after the playing time limiting mode has been selected and for starting timing of said locking time timing means when passage of the playing time is detected to disable the output operation of the picture image until the locking time has passed.

2. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 1

, further comprising:

playing time setting means for user'"'"'s setting of the playing time.

3. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said playing time setting means is means for selecting a playing time from a plurality of playing times.

4. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said playing time setting means enters a playing time setting mode by a user'"'"'s continuous operation of a specific key for a fixed time, and settles the set playing time by a user'"'"'s second continuous operation of the specific key for the fixed time.

5. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 4

, wherein said control means releases the playing time limiting mode when the specific key is continuously operated for the fixed time after the playing time limiting mode has been selected.

6. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 2

, wherein said mode selecting means detects completion of the setting of the playing time with said playing time setting means to select the playing time limiting mode.

7. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said control means starts the timing of said playing time timing means immediately after the playing time limiting mode has been selected.

8. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said control means starts the timing of said playing time timing means after the playing time limiting mode has been selected and an operation of a play switch has been detected.

9. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 8

, wherein said control means resumes the timing of said playing time timing means when said control means detects the operation of the play switch in a case where passage of the locking time is detected.

10. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 1

, said apparatus further comprising:

calculation means for calculating remaining playing time of information being played in progress when the passage of the playing time is detected; and

comparison means for comparing the calculated remaining playing time with a reference time, wherein;

said control means immediately starts the timing of said locking time timing means and disables the output operation of the picture image until the locking time has passed when the remaining playing time is larger than the reference time, and starts the timing of said locking time timing means and disables the output operation of the picture image until the locking time has passed after the remaining playing time has passed when the remaining playing time is smaller than the reference time.

11. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 1

, said apparatus further comprising indication means for indicating a locking state during the timing of said locking time timing means.

12. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 11

, wherein said indication means is means for blinking a power indication lamp.

13. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said picture image outputting apparatus is a picture image reproducer for reproducing picture image information stored in a prescribed storage medium to output the reproduced picture image information.

14. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 13

, wherein said picture image reproducer is a video deck for reproducing a videocassette tape to output a reproduced picture image signal.

15. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 14

, said apparatus further comprising:

calculation means for calculating remaining playing time of information being played in progress on a basis of a rotational speed of a tape reel of the video cassette tape when the passage of the playing time is detected; and

comparison means for comparing the calculated remaining playing time with a reference time, wherein;

said control means immediately starts the timing of said locking time timing means and disables the output operation of the picture image until the locking time has passed when the remaining playing time is larger than the reference time, and starts the timing of said locking time timing means and disables the output operation of the picture image until the locking time has passed after the remaining playing time has passed when the remaining playing time is smaller than the reference time.

16. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 13

, wherein said picture image reproducer is a digital versatile disk apparatus for reproducing an optical disk to output a reproduced picture image and/or a reproduced sound to a monitor device.

17. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 13

, wherein said picture image reproducer is a game machine for executing a game in a state of being connected with a monitor device.

18. The picture image outputting apparatus according to

claim 1

, wherein said apparatus is an apparatus for demodulating picture image information delivered through a network to output the demodulated picture image information.